Woolworths to build a platform to host subscription-based services

Woolworths is set to develop a new technology platform that will underpin “multiple” subscription-based services.

The retailer revealed the plans in a job advertisement for a “technology lead” on December 8 last year, which it described as “an opportunity to build and execute the platform strategy for our new subscriptions platform.”

Woolworths already offers a subscription-based delivery service where individual and business customers pay for unlimited grocery deliveries in a month.

The job advertisement appears to indicate that Woolworths has broader plans to launch more subscription services.

The subscription platform it intends to build will be used “by the wider WooliesX business” and ultimately support “a multi subscription offering,” the retailer indicated.

WooliesX is the digital innovation arm of Woolworths, with operations in e-commerce, technology, media and data.

Woolworths has other ‘X’ arms for its liquor, variety and New Zealand operations, so it is unclear if the subscriptions platform is intended to be used group-wide or only within the Australian grocery operations.

iTnews understands the company wants to put more structure and resources into the ongoing development of subscription-based propositions.

Employing a specific technology lead on subscriptions would bring it into line internally with other mature areas of the WooliesX business, such as gift cards, insurance, checkout and search.

It is unclear whether it will build on the technology foundations of existing subscription services or be a completely greenfields build; the advertisement does note the architecture is intended to be microservices-based, event-driven and hosted entirely in the cloud.

Woolworths indicated that the team behind the project would “start off … lean” before growing “to support the long term plan and strategy.”

The company said it had "no specific plans to share at this time" on areas where it may look to launch new subscription-based services.